


dead leaves blowing in the wind

by ensembledesétoiles (Tsundeyama)



Series: 30 kisses challenge (that i'll never complete probably) [1]
Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: Anxiety, Depreciative Thoughts, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Give Us Shinobu Content On AO3 ?, Light Angst, No Beta We Die Like ... Eichi In The Near Future, Okay But Shinobun's Solo Song, Or They Can Just Be Friends, Platonic Relationships, Shippu Jinrai Shinobi Michi References, Stan Ryuseitai, whatever you like
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-11
Updated: 2020-05-11
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:14:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 951
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24134932
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tsundeyama/pseuds/ensembledes%C3%A9toiles
Summary: whistling winds : « no one is mad at you, shinobu. you are okay the way you are. you are more than enough. »
Relationships: Sengoku Shinobu & Anzu, Sengoku Shinobu & Reader, Sengoku Shinobu/Anzu, Sengoku Shinobu/Reader
Series: 30 kisses challenge (that i'll never complete probably) [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1741573
Comments: 4
Kudos: 21





	dead leaves blowing in the wind

**Author's Note:**

> how is there no (as in zero) content on shinobun when he is just here being the purest angel, the smollest babie, the son of the whole nation ? 
> 
> this can be seen as total friendship or as two babies having little baby crushes on each other, it's not about romance anyway. 
> 
> also, the title is taken from one of shinobu's solo lines because this solo helps me ninja my way through my social anxiety and through the pressure of online classes.

how come his leather jacket always feels awfully hot when he is on stage yet is useless against the slightest wind ? is it a leather thing ? is it how girls feel with every single item of clothing designed to be _pretty_ rather than practical.

never mind, maybe he’ll warm up if he curls in on himself enough and stop moving. or if he thinks about it enough — can you imagine warmth ? summon it ? probably. cold is just a construct of the mind.

shinobu tighten his hold around his own knees and sniffles loudly. he had stopped crying at some point, but the darkness is comforting so he doesn’t feel like opening his eyes are moving or dealing with the outside world just yet. he feels stupid, having ran off in the middle of practice for no other reason that he felt useless. _was_ useless.

what was asked of him was simple enough really, move a certain way, hit that note, spin around — and yet he failed, and failed, and failed again and stormed off before breaking down in tears once he was far away from the group and the crew and the producer. chiaki and the producer should be in a mess because of him right now, apologizing left and right. maybe he should go back and face the consequence of his actions.

he raises his head and she’s here, maybe a hundred feet away from him. his producer, walking in the forest chasing after him.

it really compliments her, the colors of autumn, and he wonders if she is not more than just human, if she is not part creature of the forest. no one can look this good with dirt on their legs, dead leaves in their wind-tussled hair and tears in their eyes because of the dust unless they’re _mystical_.

the wind whistles, red and orange leaves swirl around her legs — he had seen this happen in an anime once, it’s the transformation of a magical girl — but the girl simply shiver, an arm around her waist to keep warm and the other keeping her skirt from flying up.

she spots him then, and a smile lights up her face. she’s been looking all over for the little ninja.

she doesn’t run, doesn’t call out for his name, simply walks up to him before crouching down in front of him. she’s taller. she’s always taller.

he doesn’t dare look away, even though he really wants to bury his head back between his knees. he doesn’t want her to see him like this. she hadn’t yet, and he would like for her to keep believing he is the sunshine of ryuseitai and not an anxious, self-depreciating, weak little boy.

he had hidden it so well so far, always working hard, always smiling, forcing his awkwardness away when she was too close — which was a lot, he never was good with girls.

her smile soften and her eyes glimmer with an affectionate light and he doesn’t deserve her compassion. he turns his head away in shame.

« it’s okay. everyone wants to run away sometimes. »

she says softly, reaching forward to take his hands in hers. she wobbles, her balance failing her but she is saved by his grip tightening to keep her steady.

she thank him, and his cheeks flush a deep shade of red. too close. too nice. too much for his poor fragile heart, hurting in his chest.

« i’m sorry. »

his voice wavers, she will hear that he cried and that he still wants to burst into tears. she hums, shakes her head softly. the late afternoon sun shines on her hair, gold sparks on her skin where the rays hit directly and she is a fairy. a princess of the forest.

she brings his hands to her forehead, then to her lips. she presses a soft kiss on his knuckles and he wants to jolt his hands away just as much as he wants her lips to stay on his skin forever.

he’s combusting, at this point he wouldn’t even be surprised if steam started to come out of his ears.

« why are you sorry, when you have nothing to apologize for ? » she asks, head tilted to the side. « no one is mad at you, shinobu. you are okay the way you are. you are more than enough for me, and for us. »

he is more than enough as a friend, more than enough as a performer and as part of ryuseitai. he doesn’t have to force himself to be someone else. she wouldn’t want him to be anything more or less than the boy he is right now, her _sunshine_ , her respite, the only one who knows how to set her heart at ease as easily as ablaze.

« we don’t have to go back if you don’t want to, just let me stay with you. »

she can’t bear to know him all alone, crying in the dirt in the middle of a forest like a lost child, even though he might just be.

« you don’t have to ninja your way through your sadness alone. not when i’m right here. » she’ll listen to his struggle, she’ll hold him until he’s better. « i’m right here. »

she says again and shinobu can’t nin-nin the tears anymore. a loud wail escape from his lips as he throws his arms around her waist.

the young woman stumbles backward, fortunately not hurting herself as she was close to the ground anyway. her arms embrace her friend’s sobbing form and she gently smooth his hair. his face is buried against her stomach and she doesn’t mind the tears and possible snot on her pink cardigan.

she’s here, for as long as he needs.

**Author's Note:**

> will i ever complete the 30 kisses challenge ? probably NOT but anyway, here's my take on "whistling winds".


End file.
